News & Views Friday, December 09, 2016

There are literally hundreds of pieces written and published for saxophone that could be considered standard repertoire, but in order to keep this article at a reasonable length, we will begin by featuring only a few pieces.

Mastering standard repertoire pieces helps young students to build knowledge of the literature itself. Other pieces such as Heiden’s “Solo for Alto Saxophone” Ibert’s “Histories,” and Henri Eccles “Sonata for Alto Saxophone” add to a student’s phrasing, tone and technique as they study and gain more abilities on their instrument.

As high school students prepare for college auditions and continue on as music majors, they will likely have a chance to prepare many of these pieces. Encouraging your students to become familiar with these standards as soon as they are able will give them a “head-start” in their musical career!

Join us August 1-4 for four days of new music reading sessions and workshops, jam-packed with great new publications and teaching tips to get you ready for the new school year!

ELEMENTARY GENERAL MUSIC CLINIC
Wednesday 8/1/2012, 9:00 am-12:30 pm

JOHN JACOBSON WORKSHOP
Thursday 8/2/2012, 9:00 am-4:00 pm

JOY OF SINGING
Friday 8/3/2012, 9:00 am-4:00 pm

STANTON’S SUPER SESSION
Saturday 8/4/2012, 9:00 am-4:00 pm

Pre-registration is now closed, but there’s still plenty of spots available for those who wish to register at the door for each event! Contact us at choral@stantons.com or 1-800-426-8742 for more details.

At Stanton’s Sheet Music, we vicariously help teach your students with you! It’s true…We look through hundreds of new titles every summer and choose the select few that we would use if we were teaching. These are the titles we share with you in our promotions on-line and in the mail.

So if you are thinking:“Why should I spend my time looking at Stanton’s promotions?”
It’s because:
• Stanton’s Staff has already spent hours looking at and listening to hundreds of new titles.
• They have picked pieces at all levels that they would use if they were teaching.
• Their aim is to make your life easier and to help you succeed.

And if you are thinking:“Why is Stanton’s Staff qualified to make these recommendations?”
It’s because:
• Stanton’s Staff is made up of college-trained musicians.
• Some of them have taught in the public schools and many teach privately.
• They know what has proven to be successful for Stanton’s customers over the years.

And if you are thinking:“Why did Stanton’s Staff pick these particular pieces to recommend to me?”
It’s because:
Stanton’s only selects pieces that they believe are
• The most educationally valid
• The best sounding
• The most highly programmable

So if you are thinking:“I can’t go wrong with Stanton’s Choices!”
It’s because:
• You’re right!

When your beginners deserve a treat and are ready to play “real” music, instead of the lessons in their method book, consider these easy winners that are new for Fall, 2012.

SALAMANDER SAMBA
by Lauren Bernofsky
Grade 1/2…yes, that’s one half!
Holy guacamole! How can a piece so technically simple be so much fun and sound so good? Using nothing but open string pizzicato, the only challenge is counting and playing the notes in the right place while keeping good hand position. The rhythm patterns change so your students will need to stay focused. What glues it all together is an essential, syncopated and infectiously jazzy piano part that provides a Latin feel and color with a solid pulse and great groove while your beginner string students drop their notes in at the right time – and everybody is having fun making music. This tune is one of the reasons why Ms. Bernofsky has become a real favorite of Stanton’s string staff. Super!

ADORATION
by Mitchell S. Bender
Grade 1
In a folksong style that almost begs for lyrics, here is a nice, solid Grade 1 selection that provides just enough teaching material to keep it from being sightread too easily by intermediate beginners. Great to introduce or reinforce some accidentals such as F natural, G# and A# in the comfortable string key of D. You can work on playing octaves in tune with open strings as well as counting dotted-quarter/eighth note rhythms while enjoying the tuneful melody often presented in a call and response setting, so every part has something interesting going on.

SAHARA-ZADE
by Frank M. Rodgers
Grade 1.5
Leave it to Frank Rodgers to pull in students with a little bit of humor – although you may have to clue them in to the joke! The corny title will give you an opportunity to play a recording of the real Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov so the students can hear the melody that Frank “borrowed” for this programmatic journey across the desert, with its contrasts of tranquility and sandstorms. Your students will get lots of imaginative adventure as well as the opportunity to emphasize syncopated rhythms, the importance of dynamics and bowing techiniques such as accents, staccato and portamento. You can count on Frank Rodgers, who was “in the trenches” as an inner city string teacher for 35 years, to sneak in great pedagogy while your students are having fun with other elements of his pieces.

Top Christian Hits of 2011-2012 includes 21 of the best top Christian songs of 2011 and 2012. Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Laura Story, Jeremy Camp and more artists are represented here. There are Laura Story’s “Blessings“, MercyMe‘s “Move”, The Afters’ ”Lift Me Up“, and Brandon Heath’s “The Light in Me” included. These are standard arrangements of the songs; piano with the melody in the right hand, the vocal part, and guitar chords. If you like to play for yourself, or if you are looking for current songs for worship services, this is a great book of sacred sheet music. For more information about this music or other sacred collections, please contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at greatservice@stantons.com.

So band camp is just around the corner, and your shows are already planned (wait…they are planned, right? If not, check out our show planning categories for more ideas!), but what about some new stands tunes? Short, time-out length tunes can be a challenge to come by – parts have been lost, tunes become dated, you and your band are bored… If any of these scenarios sounds a little too familiar here are several new stands collections of current pop tunes released this year.

Hal Leonard has added two new volumes to the Stadium Jams series: Stadium Jams Volume 6 features both recently revived and current hits Final Countdown, Don’t Stop Believin’, All I Do is Win, and Party Rock Anthem; Stadium Jams Volume 7 is a pop divas collection including Bad Romance (Lady Gaga), Crazy in Love (Beyonce), Firework (Katy Perry), and We Found Love (Rihanna).

Arrangers’ Publishing has released30 -Second Blasters, a collection of four current pop hits: Turn Me On (David Guetta), Super Bass (Nicki Minaj), Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (Beyonce), and More (Usher).

Alfred’s newest addition to the Shorties series, Shorties #18, includes Don’t Stop Believin’, Dynamite, The Time Warp, and 25 or 6 to 4.

Songs of Joy & Peace is a collection of ten songs arranged differently from most songbooks. There is a piano accompaniment, there are the words and vocal line, and there is the novelty of a cello accompaniment written by Yo-Yo Ma. Three titles are for cello solo; Dona Nobis Pacem Variations, Christmas Jig/Mouth of the Tobique Reel, and Joy to the World. “The Wexford Carol” is so pretty. It is worth getting a pianist, cellist and vocalist together to perform this at Christmas. “A Christmas Jig/Mouth of the Tobique Reel“ absolutely sparkles. Get a fiddler to join in with this one, the melody is in the right hand of the piano part. And if you know any folk dancers, play it for them, but not too fast. It’s hard for anybody’s feet to be still during this medley! If you want to know more about this collection or anything else you may be curious about, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at greatservice@stantons.com.

Wrecking Ball is the first album in three years from The Boss. It is a response to the ongoing financial crisis, with songs like “Death to My Hometown” for despair, and “Land of Hope and Dreams” for hope; songs that address economic justice. Wrecking Ball debuted in March of 2012 at #1 in no fewer than sixteen countries including the U.S.A. and U.K. and is Springsteen’s tenth number one album. This book of guitar sheet music is the authentic guitar tab edition, which means these songs have not been simplified. Have you been trying to figure out these songs by ear? Save yourself the trouble-the licks are in this book along with the chord changes and all the lyrics. To find out more about this book of guitar sheet music and others, call 800-42-MUSIC or check us out online at www.stantons.com.

James Newton Howard has scored the music for over 100 films, and has received eight Academy Award nominations for his movie scores. The Hunger Games is one of the most recent and already one of the best known scores.

Ten of the pieces from the movie are transcribed in this book of sheet music. It’s not easy to transcribe film scores for piano. This book has been well arranged, however, and will not disappoint. From “Katniss Afoot” to the concluding “Returning Home”, this beautiful collection will be fun to play, and bring to mind “the girl who was on fire”.

These could be used for summer vocal solos for or for piano solos. A praise band that is used to arranging music for their own group can find material to keep them busy into the fall season. This collection of sheet music is a gold mine of recent Christian hits.

To check out this book of Christian hits or to inquire about others, please call 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at greatservice@stantons.com.

From a first-year teacher whose instruments were stolen before entering his building, to a teacher who received “hate mail” before her first day, to a teacher whose sensitivity, flexibility and insight gained her the respect of her ensemble in only weeks, “The Music Teacher’s First Year,” a collection of true stories from first-year teachers, is a delightful description of their real world. In addition, each chapter includes discussion questions for pre-service and young teachers as they prepare for their teaching future.

Stanton’s is excited to welcome back Greg Gilpin as our clinician for the 30th edition of our Elementary General Music Clinic. This is one of Stanton’s longest running and most successful clinics, where we showcase the best new teacher resources, song collections, games, musicals and more! We are sure that you will find materials that will keep you and your students interested throughout the year. Get your school year started on the right foot!

(from NEA.gov)Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was a media phenomenon as well as a great musician. From the momentous night when he substituted for an ailing Bruno Walter as conductor of the New York Philharmonic in 1943, he was news. The dashing, flamboyant youth was in the papers the next day, and ever since.

He was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His father, Sam, a Russian Jewish immigrant, wanted his son to join him in the beauty supply business, but from age ten, when his aunt Clara gave the family an old upright piano, Bernstein had ears only for music. He later studied at Harvard University (with Walter Piston), The Curtis Institute (with Fritz Reiner), and at Tanglewood (with Serge Koussevitzky) – in other words, with three of the greatest musicians within a thousand miles.

From 1944, when he wrote the ballet (and later musical) Fancy Free, to 1957, the year of his triumph with West Side Story, Bernstein was most active on Broadway and in films (e.g., On the Waterfront). After 1958, when he was appointed music director of the New York Philharmonic, his activities veered more towards classical repertoire, both in composing and conducting.

Chichester Psalms is an uplifting choral composition commissioned for the 1965 Southern Cathedrals’ Festival at Chichester Cathedral. This piece, in which a chorus sings texts in Hebrew, has become Bernstein’s most famous choral work and one of America’s most-performed choral masterpieces.
His Mass, commissioned for the opening of the Kennedy Center in 1971, is an amalgam of Broadway, classical, jazz, gospel, rock, Jewish chant, swing, and virtually every other musical tradition Bernstein had experienced. Though initial reaction was hostile, within a year New York Times critic Donal Henahan deemed it “a minor miracle of skillful mixing.”

This timeless tale of how important it is to be ecologically responsible was released March 2, 2012, and stayed at number one for at least two weekends in the new nationwide releases category. Take a little of that number one home with you!

For this book of movie music or others you may be interested in, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at greatservice@stantons.com.

This lovely book includes a CD of the accompanying music. This wonderful children’s story is over 60 years old, and it is still a top seller. Music teachers buy it for their classrooms, parents buy it for young children, friends of parents-to-be buy it as a shower gift. Customers pick it up from the counter and look through the book, recounting fond childhood memories of “Tubby the Tuba.”

If you don’t own this book and recording, if you or the kids wore your old copy out, or if you are a new elementary music teacher, this book and recording are for you! For other sheet music books and music story books, feel free to contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at greatservice@stantons.com.

Sneak peeks of various publishers’ new string orchestra music for next fall are starting to show up in everyone’s mailbox – including Stanton’s!

We have been listening and looking at the new material, and as always, there are standouts, which Stanton’s will be stocking, advertising and including on New String Orchestra Music Reading Sessions. Here are three levels of “Top Choice Original Pieces” from Kendor:

WIND RIVER REFLECTIONS by Jared Spears (Grade 3)
Musical images of the Wind River wilderness in northwestern Wyoming bubble through this picturesque offering that contains touches of both Copland and Ravel as it tumbles through chromatic melodies that are beautiful in their own right and then are presented backwards with equal charm. After rolling through a fugue of the themes it climaxes in a rhythmic waterfall that satisfies the musical senses. Mature but not difficult.

ADVENTURE ON THE HIGH SEAS by Lorie Gruneisen (Grade 2+)
Life on a large, rough and tumble sailing vessel is depicted in this entertaining and educationally solid piece from a new name in the string orchestra composing world (although Ms. Gruneisen has been a music educator for over 30 years). A jaunty, sea faring 6/8 is juxtaposed with 3/4 and 2/4 while melodic material is generously shared by all. Teachable accents, strategic rests and the key of D minor are also featured.

BUG’S BALLROOM by Frank J. Halferty (Grade 1)
Have your young players experience the time-honored Dance Suite with Grasshopper’s Gavotte (with optional slides in the first violin from B to D on the A string, setting the stage for the shift to third position later on), Waterskipper Waltz (with sustained cello melody over pizzicato) and Cockroach’s Cakewalk (with a one/two and/rest/rest rhythmic motif). There are teaching opportunities galore and primo programmability.

The choral series Mike Brewer’s Choral World Tour brings together traditional songs from around the world in exciting a cappella arrangements that will both challenge and stimulate your choir. Each piece is accompanied by a translation and pronunciation guide.

The series is available in four collections from all corners of the world. El Cascabel (Three Songs from the Americas) brings you the driving rhythms of Central America (“El Cascabel/Son Jarocho” from Mexico), the emotive plainchant of North America (“Pueblo Sunrise Song” from New Mexico), and a passionate Argentine tango (“Tango Cappella” from Argentina).

In Korobushka (Three Songs from Europe), you’ll feel the rush of Russian dance (“Korobushka,” a love song from Russia), experiment with the unique sounds of Scandinavia (“Kvolda Tekur,” an Icelandic folksong), and step back in time to Renaissance France (“Tourdion,” a Renaissance dance song).

Travel to the African continent with Oalla Mohololi (Three Songs from Africa). Feel the pulsing rhythms of South Africa (“Oalla Mohololi,” a Sotho ceremonial song), experience the solid harmonies of a Namibian chorus (“Meguru,” a Kavango song), and experiment with indigenous vocal techniques (“Yelli bo’dek dhaya fikri,” a love song from Tunisia).

Pokarekare (Three Songs from Asia and the Pacific) brings your world tour to a close. In this collection, you’ll feel the warmth of a Maori love song (“Pokarekare”), experience an intricate pentatonic part-song from China (“Holday danaa”), and incorporate Bengalese percussion into your performance (“Molihua”).

For more exciting world music resources for your choir, please contact us!

Summer is here (finally!)… You’ve wrapped up your end-of-the-year concerts and lessons and you’re enjoying some well-earned time off. Here at Stanton’s, we’re gearing up for our summer workshop series! Yes, it can be hard to think about starting up a new school year, and we hear lots of excuses…ahem, I mean reasons…as to why people want to skip out on attending a summer workshop this year:

“It’s summertime! I don’t want to think about work.”
We hear ya. Summer sunshine…sandy beaches…grilling out on the patio…spending time with family and friends… These are all worthwhile summertime pursuits. But think about it – spending just one day at a Stanton’s workshop this summer can give you repertoire and teaching ideas for your entire school year! By devoting a few hours to work with us in the summer, you could free up evenings and weekends during the year so that you can: A) spend more time with your family and friends, B) work on that novel or symphony you’ve been meaning to write, or C) regain your sanity from spending all day with those rowdy kids!

“I can find everything I need to know on the internet/in a catalog.”
The internet is a wonderful tool in finding new music for your ensembles and classrooms – it helped you find this blog, right? Stanton’s Listening Library contains thousands of recordings to help you find the perfect piece of repertoire, many items on our newly redesigned main website have sample pages you can view, and our Digital Delivery website allows you to find and print music immediately. But…none of those benefits outweighs the value of holding a new piece of music in your hands and experiencing it for the first time as your students do. At Stanton’s summer clinics and reading sessions, you can identify music your students will love to sing and find resources and repertoire to teach important musical concepts. NOTHING compares to looking at the entire piece and singing it with a group – THAT’S how you know if it will work for you! No 30-second sample recording or three-sentence catalog write-up can do that.

“I have such a small budget. Why learn about new music that I can’t afford?”You’re not alone. Music budgets are shrinking across the country, and our clinicians know that you need to make every penny count. We’ve got ideas for affordable costuming and set design for your elementary musicals. We’ve got budget-stretching, reproducible choral collections with lots of repertoire options. And best of all, we’ve got many other teachers at our clinics so you can meet and share ideas that really, truly work in the classroom with each other! You could meet someone with great ideas for nurturing a successful booster group, or someone with tips for garnering community support and sponsorship, or someone with suggestions for marketing your program to your school board. Colleagues and peers in the education field are one of your greatest resources – join us and take advantage of that!

We also know that many schools won’t reimburse teachers for your registration fees, and it’s always painful to shell out your hard-earned money. To help with this issue, Stanton’s is offering a $25 gift certificate to new attendees who qualify; contact us for more details. And talk to your tax guy – workshop fees for teacher enrichment and continuing education may be tax deductible.

“I live in Pennsylvania/Kentucky/Illinois/Anytown, U.S.A. It’s too far for me to drive to Columbus.”
We often have a pair of wonderful music teachers from CANADA who come to our clinics here in Ohio! Make it really worth your while by attending multiple workshops during “School Choral Week 2012.” Bring the family! Workshops each day are completed by 4 p.m., so you have the evening to explore all that Central Ohio has to offer. The Stanton’s staff can recommend our favorite local restaurants, movie theaters, and cultural hot-spots for you to visit – the cooler summer evenings are perfect for a trip to the Ohio State Fair (open July 25-August 5 2012); maybe your spouse can take the kids to COSI or the Columbus Zoo while you’re enjoying your workshop during the day; the Columbus Metroparks are great for hiking or sunset picnics; or check out the CAPA Summer Movie Series at the historic Ohio Theatre.

I’ve been teaching for 10/20/30 years. I know what I’m doing and I don’t need help.”It’s true – experience can breed wisdom. But we find that the wisest teachers know that in order to keep students engaged they need to refresh, renew and revamp their teaching every single year! Keep your teaching style fresh and innovative by getting new ideas from our nationally-known, experienced, expert clinicians. Yes, there are probably great resources already in your library that work as well today as they did 30 years ago – but we’d venture a guess that there are just as many things that now seem dated and over-used. Mixing in new titles with the old standards keeps your lessons and concerts interesting for your students and – just as importantly – for YOU!

“I’m a first-year teacher. I have no idea WHAT I need yet!”Stanton’s workshops are perfect for you! The first thing a beginning teacher needs is a strong support system around them – start building that support system by joining the dedicated community of teachers who know the benefits of attending our workshops. You may not have heard your choirs or met your classes yet, but by arming yourself with information and repertoire ideas you’re ready to face whatever challenges await you. PLANNING is your best defense against the dreaded feeling of being overwhelmed by all the “newness” of starting your teaching career. Also, by developing a relationship with Stanton’s, you’ll have US on your side! We’re staffed with veteran teachers and college-trained musicians, so we’ve got your back!

“We would hear stories of orphans, disease, and third-world poverty. But there were always stories of hope, too, and of how people could make a difference. Every time I would hear those stories, I would shake my head and think,‘I ought to go and do something!’ Well, I couldn’t cure diseases or eradicate hunger or poverty…I know music, and I know kids. That was the first spark of what would later become the Music Academy, Miathene Synod.”

Explore the songs, rhythms, and instruments of the Kenyan culture all while teaching your students that, even though our lives are very different, music is something that we all have in common. Join composer and educator Mark Burrows in this heartwarming collection of songs, activities, and lessons from his journeys to Miathene Synod, Kenya. A CD is included with authentic pronunciation tracks for all of the songs. Refresh your teaching with his vivid accounts of working with the children and teachers at the music academy that he helped to establish.

More than just a classroom resource, this publication will leave you with a renewed hope that the world will be a better place for future generations, and give you the satisfaction of knowing that proceeds from your purchase will help to fund the academy’s continued operations.

As a youngster, Ken Scott loved playing with recording devices. As a Christmas present in 1959, at the age of twelve, he got a Grundig TK 25 tape recorder. A few years later, as he watched his favorite popular female singer on TV singing into a mike, he saw ”a man sitting behind a large desk of some kind, seemingly directing the operation.” Ken says, “In that single instant, I knew what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I was going to become that man, someone they called a “recording engineer.” Now fast-forward a few years: Four months before he turned seventeen, Ken Scott got fed up with taking exams to qualify for going to university in the UK. On the evening of Friday the 17th of January, 1964, he wrote to about ten record labels, television stations, or radio stations that might have recording engineers working for them. The following Tuesday, he got a letter back from EMI Studios requesting an interview. He started work at the EMI Studios on Abbey Road seven days later working in the tape library. He was on his way to realizing his dream. In this book, he tells stories about working with the Beatles, Alan Parsons, David Bowie, and many other big name artists. If you love pop music, if you like good stories, get this book. You will read it more than once!